U.S. Airports Are Starting to Get Full-Service Gyms

It was only a matter of time. Business travelers were getting so tired of delayed and canceled flights, lost hours, pent up stress and endless frustration that something had to be done. Thanks to the free market, it has. Enter the newest business model to seep into the fitness world, that of airport gyms.

Roam Fitness is leading the charge, creating exercise rooms in some of the nation’s biggest airports. First on their list is Baltimore Int’l (BWI).

Here’s how the system works… you have the option of choosing from five different membership options, including an annual membership, 1-month membership, 1-day pass, 3-day pass, or 5-day pass.

It’s perfect for whatever your travel schedule may entail and is conveniently adjustable if your plans change. For example, if you’re anticipating a short trip on the road but it turns into several weeks or a month, you can upgrade to a bigger plan.

The biggest question now is whether other airports, besides BWI, will adopt this idea. While the facilities needed don’t necessarily have to be humongous, there still needs to be some accommodations made on behalf of the airports. Are they actually willing to do this? That’s the biggest question.

And let’s be honest, there are only a handful of people who fly enough to actually want to pay for a gym at an airport. Casual flyers would never consider this idea, because why would you pay $30+ to workout in an airport one time?

People who work out at airports are like jazz listeners. They’re a small, yet dedicated group. While this is good in the sense that they’d be more likely to purchase a long-term membership, it also means fewer conversions, or customers, are likely to come through—in other words, few sign ups.

Hopefully, Roam will give it a chance at multiple airports before scrapping the idea. BWI is a decent start, but we won’t really know if it works until it shifts to the really big airports like LAX, ORD, and ATL (at the moment, Roam is speaking with Atlanta Airport officials about a potential opening).

The space at BWI is about 1,175 square feet—twice the size of a Manhattan studio apartment—which means it will be able to include a variety of workout gear like free weights, medicine balls, treadmills, and yoga mats (gotta appease the yogis).

In case you’re wondering about the cleaning up situation, there WILL be private bathrooms and showers available post-workout.

Ive never understood why people crowd around the airplane entrance. If you have a ticket, they'll let you on. #travel#airports